Edwabd smith bijtleb



(No Model.)

B. s. BUTLER. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING VIGNBTTES. No. 354,534. Patented Dec. 21, 18.86.

N. I'EYERS. Pholo-Lillvogmrmur. WnhmgwmQQ UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

EDYVARD SMITH BUTLER, OF \VYOllIING, OHIO.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRENTING VIGNETTES.

SPEOITICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,534, dated December 21. 1886.

Application filodllune 26, 1886. Serial No. 206,295. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD Siuirn BUT. LER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the town of "Wyoming, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, and doing business in the city of Cincinnati, in the said county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of and Apparatus for Printing Vignettes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a mode and means for carrying out that mode whereby photographic vignettes may be printed by direct exposure to sunlight, thus saving much time in the printing over the processes which require subdued 0r diffused light.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved vignette-printing apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section, the stand being omitted. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the springroller and supporting device. Fig. 4t shows a modified form of the spring-roller. Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the under side of the cam H, shown in other positions in Figs. 1, 2, and 4., respectively.

The box or frame A is pivotally supported on journals T, by which means it is capable of being oscillated or made to describe a partial revolution. These journals are preferably located at and connected to the upper edge or portion of the box. One of these journals is at one side of the box and the other at the other side of the box.

The preferred means for setting the box or frame A at any desired point in its arc of o's eillation or of revolution consists as follows: One of the journals is rigidly attached to the arm I), which latter may be secured in position by clamps Z), moving in the slot 22 The standard 0, connected to the bottom of the box A, is a convenient support for the plate E andits attachments. The stem D passes through the center of the plate E, and serves as a journal around which plate E revol-ves. This stem D is fixed in or to the col umn C. The edge of the plate E does not quite touch the sides of; the bOX A, but is arranged to turn freely therein. Clock-work (not shown) joint.

is to be placed in the box A for the purpose of imparting rotary motion to the plate E, preferably through the medium of a wheel, F.

The top of the stem D is provided with a ball, D, which rests in a socket in the plate G, forming therewith a loose ball-and-socket On the stem D, immediately under the ball D, I prefer to use an anti-friction sleeve, which consists of a hollow sleeve, S, or cylinder resting on a shoulder or projection of the stem 1), and fitting loose enough on said stem D to revolve about it when touched by edge ofopening in cam H in its revolution about said stem D, by which construction the friction of edge of cam H with stem D is lessened, and the cutting of the stem D by edge'of opening in cam H is also lessened. I

A plate, G, supports the printing-frame, which latter is preferably of the ordinary and well-known construction, and this printingframe is to be secured to the plate G. One mode of securing the frame to theplateG consists of the elastic or spring clips 9 g. The under side of plate G, or preferably the under side of plate H, fixed to the under side of plate G, is provided with or formed into an uneven surface, fora purpose hereinafter more fully set forth. This surface is usually formed with alternate depressions W and projections V, curved, a depression following a projection, and a projection following a depression, the surface of the depression gradually uniting with the surfaces of its adjacent projections. These depressions are preferably different depths and different widths, and so are the projections. The depressions and projections preferably radiate from the center of the plate or stem D, and take the form of flutings, which enlarge as they approach the periphery of the plate E or H, as shown in Figs. 1, 4,and 5. A roller, I, suitably supported, bears up against the uneven under surface of the plate H. I

- For the purpose of the better keeping the roller up against the under surface of plate H, and of promptly following in and out the de pressions \V, and of preventing jar to the plate E, I provide the spring K. The construction. of the roller and its rod and spring are best shown in Fig. 8. The hollow cylinder J firmly attached to the top of the plate E, holds the coiled spring K, and above the spring the rod L, which rests on the spring K and has a pin, 1, extending downwardly within the spring. The roller I is journaled in the upper end of the rod L, as shown, and is preferably provided with an elastic ring on its periphery. Another mode of supporting the roller I is shown in Fig. 4. The support in this case is the wire M, which consists of a coil, m the ends of which project to form the arms at and an, the former being secured to the plateEand the latter carrying the roller I.

In using device the negative and sensitized paper are put in printing-frame the usual way, and a piece of card-board, with an irregular opening in it technically known as avignette, is put on outside of printing-frame and above the negative, as usual; but the tissuepaper or other material ordinarily put over the opening in the vignette,whcn printing in the direct sunlight to diffuse the light,is omitted.

The printingframe so prepared is inserted between the clips and the box A,with its attaehmentsjis then tilted on its axis until the suns rays fall perpendicularly to the plane of the diameter of the plate E, or parallel with the stem D, or as near as possible thereto. The box A is then set in this position by means of the clamp b and the negative kept covered until it is pointed toward the sun and the apparatus started. When the clock-work in the box A is started, rotary motion is imparted to the plate E. The friction of the roller J against the uneven surface of plate H causes the plate G to rotate somewhat irregularly, however, and not as fast as the plate E. The plate E in turning carries the spring-roller I under the plate H, and as the latteralways lies against the roller, the latter, through the medium of the corrugations or depressions and projections on the plate H, imparts an oscillatory movement to the plate G. The printing-frame partakes of the two movements of the plate G viz., the rotary and oscillatory-with the effect that the light passing through the opening in the card-board falls with its full intensity at all times only 011 the center of the picture, while at the edges of the picture the shadow cast by the edge of the vignetting-opening is in constant motion, and thereby prevents the light from printing a sharp outline of said opening on the paper or substance upon which the print is to be made, and, instead of a sharp outline, prints a shaded edge, gradually changing from dark outward till it merges into the color of the paper or substance upon which the print is made. In this way a vignette is printed with no longer exposure than is required for printing any other photograph with open plate in direct sunlight. At the same time the picture itself is printed with clear, strong lines and the background is shaded even better than can be done by the old method.

The apparatus may also be used for producing vignetted negatives by the followingdescribed process: The negative of which a vignetted negative is to be madeis placed in the printing-frame as in printing on sensitized paper. The card-board, through which an opening has been made for the formation of the vignette, is then placed in position on the outside of the printing-frame. Then in the dark room, or by a ruby light, a sensitive dry-plate is placed in the printing-frame, with its gelatine side to the negative. Theprinting-frame, with its contents, is now put on my machine, and after the machine is put in motion it is exposed to gas or lamp light for the proper time. In this way there is obtained a vignetted positive, from which a vignetted negative may be taken in the samemanner, except that it is unnecessary in taking the vignetted negative from the vignetted positive to put the printing-frame onthemachinc. Fromavignetted negative so prepared vignettes may be printed by direct exposure to sunlight, in the same manner as ordinary photographs.

The rotary movements of the plate G might be omitted and vignettes be taken by means of the remaining movement of the plate; but the combination of movements makes the vignette outline less pronounced and defined and more artistic.

Obviously the movements aforementioned can be imparted by a number of descriptions of mechanism or means; but all of these obviously fall within the scope of my process.

hat I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The process of making vignettes by continually changing the angle at which the light falls onto the negativethrough the opening of the piece used for forming the boundary of the vignette-picture, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The process of making vignettes, consisting of imparting to the negative, the piece having the vignette-opening, and the thing to be printed, an undulatory or tilting motion and a rotating movement, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a printing and vignetting device, the combination of the plate or holder G and means for imparting to the holder a tilting or waving movement, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a printing and vignctting device, the combination of the plate or holder G, and the plate having the uneven surface, and the roller I, revolving round the stem or axis of the plate G, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a printing and vignetting device, the combination of the plate or holder G, and the plate having the depressions \Vand projections V on its under surface, and the roller I, and spring for holding the roller against the said uneven surface of the adjacent plate, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. In a printing and, vignetting device, the combination of theplate G, and the plate H, formed in alternate depressions and projections, and the roller I, hollow cylinder J, rod Z, and spring K, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. In a printing and vignetting device, the combination of the plate G, provided with the cam surface and roller I, and the stem D, and ball-and-socket joint, and the roller I, and rotatable plate F, substantially as and for the 10. In a printing and vignetting device, the combination of the plate G, stem D, means for tilting and rotating the said plate, and the ball-and-socket j oint and the rotatable sleeve S, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

11. In aprinting and vignetting device, the box orframe A, journals T, frame B, rotatable part E, stein D, roller I, plate G,with cam H, and pivotal joint, substantially as and for the purposes specified. Y

12. In a printing and vignetting device, the box or frame A, journals '1, frame B, arm b, and clamp 12, rotatable part E, stem D, roller I, plate G,with cam H, and pivotal joint, sub stantially as and for the purposes specified.

EDVARD SMITH BUTLER.

Attest:

GIDEON- 0. WILSON, IV. 1?. GULIoK. 

